Radiographic elements that satisfy image and tone requirements with minimal silver

A radiographic element comprised of

• a blue tinted film support having first and second major surfaces and, coated on each of the major surfaces of the support,
• at least one layer containing a tabular grain emulsion including a gelatino-vehicle and spectrally sensitized silver halide grains containing greater than 50 mole percent bromide and less than 3 mole percent iodide, based on silver,
• WHEREIN the properties of a maximum density of at least 3.0, an average contrast of at least 2.7, and a b* value more negative than -5.0 at a silver coating coverage on each major surface of the support of less than 12 mg/dm.sup.2, are imparted by
• the support having a neutral density of at least 0.18,
• tabular grains accounting for at least 90 percent of total grain projected area having a mean thickness of 0.2 micrometer or less and a coefficient of variation of equivalent circular diameter less than 20 percent,
• a covering power enhancing compound containing at least one divalent sulfur atom adsorbed to surfaces of the silver halide grains,
• a water soluble polymer chosen from the class consisting of polyacrylamide and dextran, in a weight ratio of the polymer to the gelatino-vehicle of at least 0.1:1, and
• hardening of the gelatino-vehicle being chosen to allow a weight gain of greater than 200 percent, based on the total weight of gelatino-vehicle, after the following process cycle:
• ______________________________________ development 24 seconds at 40.degree. C. fixing 20 seconds at 40.degree. C., washing 10 seconds at 40.degree. C., ______________________________________
• when the developer exhibits the composition:
• ______________________________________ hydroquinone 30 g 4-hydroxymethyl-4-methyl-1-phenyl- 1.5 g 3-pyrazolidinone KOH 21 g NaHCO.sub.3 7.5 g K.sub.2 SO.sub.3 44.2 g Na.sub.2 S.sub.2 O.sub.5 12.6 g 5-methylbenzotriazole 0.06 g glutaraldehyde 4.9 g water to 1 liter (pH = 10) ______________________________________
• while allowing subsequent drying at 65.degree. C. within 20 seconds.